College football 2014 season

[Boris Godunov]

FSU pulls it out!

If I was on the committee, I'd rank 'em:

1) Alabama
2) Oregon
3) FSU
4) Ohio State

Sorry Big 12 - next time play a conference championship game so you can actually come up with one conference champion (you know, how they tried to sell things at the beginning of the year?).

I agree that the committee is likely to leave out TCU/Baylor now. I wasn't expecting that absolute insane romp by Ohio State over Wisconsin, and a very large consensus among analysts is building tonight that tOSU will get the nod. That would save the committee a huge headache by not having to decide between the two Big 12 teams and either explain why the head-to-head doesn't count or swap Baylor for TCU and explain the sudden switcheroo. Plus... $$$. The Rose Bowl would LOVE to have the standard Pac/B1G match up for sake of tradition and the larger fan bases.

So the seeding will be such that the bowl games will be:

Sugar Bowl: Alabama v. FSU
Rose Bowl: Oregon v. Ohio State

I personally would prefer Baylor or TCU as the 4th team, but I think the committee is too political and if it comes down to a large public university with a storied program versus two smaller private schools... yeah, they're going to pick the big school with a huge fan base.

The double-whammy for the Big 12 is Oklahoma losing, which will drop them from being ranked and diminishes Baylor and TCU's SoS.

[SlowwHand]

Ignoring conventional thought process:

Alabama
Oregon
TCU
Ohio State

Baylor
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Mississippi State
Michigan State
Texas Tech Red Raiders

Watch out for Arkansas.

[Boris Godunov]

I will thank tOSU for embarrassing Melvin Gordon and doubly ensuring that Mariota wins the Heisman, though.

[Boris Godunov]

4-8 Texas Tech? Okay there, Tex.

[rah]

The thought of a Rose Bowl with Ohio State and Oregon is a tasty morsel that may win out. Deserved or not. But watching OSU do that with their third string QB was pretty impressive.

[Ben Kenobi]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/

Sagarin ratings:

1 Alabama
2 TCU
3 Oregon
4 Mississippi
5 Ohio State
6 Mississippi State
7 Baylor

TCU actually jumped Oregon with that 55-3 dominating win. Ohio State became relevant, jumped Baylor, but it's not enough to supercede everything TCU did all year.

Free Shoe University holds at 15, behind 14 Oklahoma, 13 Arkansas, 12 KSU, and 11, LSU.

Wisconsin drops all the way to 24, ahead of Arizona State and West Virginia.

10-3 Arizona actually dropped even harder - to 30, behind Tennessee.

By ELO:

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Ohio State.
5. Baylor
6. Mississippi State
7. Free Shoes University.

Top 25 by ELO

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Ohio State
5. Baylor
6. Mississippi State
7. Free Shoes University
8. Ole Miss
9. Auburn
10.Michigan State
11.Georgia
12.KSU
13.LSU
14.Mizzou
15.UCLA
16.Arizona
17.Arkansas
18.Georgia Tech
19.Oklahoma
20.Texas A+M
21.Arizona State
22.Clemson
23.Wisconsin
24.Southern Cal
25.Louisville

NR: West Virginia

[Boris Godunov]

The thought of a Rose Bowl with Ohio State and Oregon is a tasty morsel that may win out. Deserved or not. But watching OSU do that with their third string QB was pretty impressive.

If that's the match-up, I kinda hope the Buckeyes peaked and Wisconsin was truly just playing miserably. Otherwise, they looked pretty damned formidable.

[Ben Kenobi]

I really like those Sagarin ELO ratings. Feels exactly right. TCU at 3, just ahead of Ohio State at 4.

[Ben Kenobi]

The double-whammy for the Big 12 is Oklahoma losing, which will drop them from being ranked and diminishes Baylor and TCU's SoS.

Actually, TCU's SOS strengthened with SMU's win.

Math wise, Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State cannot affect TCU's or Baylor's SOS. Interesting that all the matchups destroyed Arizona's rating though.

Losing the win over Oregon, puts them below USC and USC's 4 losses plus loss to Boston College, drops Arizona out of the rankings altogether.

Looking at the numbers more carefully, there's a better argument to put Ohio State over Oregon than TCU. Ohio State nearly jumped Oregon.

[Ben Kenobi]

Please 'splain what happened. Wasn't Wisconsin favored?

I'm interested in hearing that too. Every team other than Kent State did better against Ohio State. And Kent State only gave up 5 more points.

[Boris Godunov]

Announcement is due any second.

Not sure if this is a sign, but the AP poll has Baylor as #4 with tOSU as #5 and TCU as #6. The Coach's poll has tOSU as #4, Baylor #5 and TCU #6.

About to see!

[Boris Godunov]

It's Ohio State. The Big 12 is out. Wow.

[rah]

Yep WOW. we were right last night.

How long until the big 12 does a championship game

[Boris Godunov]

Sugar Bowl: 1. Alabama v. 4 Ohio State
Rose Bowl: 2. Oregon v. 3. Florida State.

Baylor came in at #5 and TCU #6.

I predicted the teams right, but I'm surprised at the match-ups. The Florida State fan base will have to travel quite a distance, giving the Ducks a bit of home field advantage. But I'd really rather face the 'Noles than the Buckeyes right now.

[-Jrabbit]

Let the whining begin.